


Christmas Ornaments

by tirade_lemonade



Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991), DuckTales (Cartoon 1987), DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Bad family, Christmas Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Fluff, Found Family, M/M, Mentions of bad family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:20:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22019275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tirade_lemonade/pseuds/tirade_lemonade
Summary: There was another terse silence, the hands holding his starting the rub the backs with Launchpad’s thumbs. He could almost hear the wheels turn in the other’s head, “Drake.”“Hm?”“You didn’t just move away, did you?”In which Drake and Launchpad discuss the importance of found family.
Relationships: Drake Mallard/Launchpad McQuack
Comments: 5
Kudos: 126





	Christmas Ornaments

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Secret Santa gift for Rainy! Sorry it’s late, love. Hope you like it!

“Hey, LP? Can you bring me down the extra box of lights? These ones are duds again!” Drake called up the stairs towards the attic, where he could hear the shuffling and bumping around of his partner trying to find their ornament box.  
He waited for the affirmative grunt before turning back to the lights he was trying to untangle, tossing them on the couch and headed for the box of household decorations. He’d never been a very holidays kind of guy- in fact, he hadn’t decorated since he moved out for college- but Launchpad was a sucker for the season.  
“Sure thing, Drake!” Came the muffled call down the ladder, before there was the creaking and banging of boxes being brought down from the small crawl space above their home. All the cardboard was piled onto the couch and coffee table, scissors ripping off tape and prying open dusty old lids.  
Launchpad reached in and moved around a few ornament bags, finding the lights and handing them off to be untangled while he started to sort the decorations by holiday: his Hannukah, Drake’s Christmas. The two really matched well together, and he wasn’t just talking about the holiday ornaments.  
He watched while Drake grumbled and fought with the tangled lights, smiling softly to himself at the way his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance at the stubborn knots. He set down the box he was sorting through, coming over to take the other end of the long ball of lights.  
“Here, let me help.” He soothed, larger fingers somehow easily starting to untangle wired lights. The tension in Drake’s shoulders melted away as he saw the string finally become something workable.  
They worked to build the tree together, cheesy and sappy Christmas music playing off Drake’s phone from the coffee table as lights were strung and ornaments pulled out of boxes.  
“All I’m saying is, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree is vastly superior to Jingle Bells!” Drake’s arms and hands waved with expressive emotion, “Jingle Bells is a little-kiddish song to dance to. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree is something that everyone can groove to!” He placed a candy cane-colored christmas orb on the tree to punctuate his sentence, Launchpad’s deep laugh coming up beside him as he brought another ornament, “Whatever you say, D.”  
He let out a little laugh of his own, taking the ornament from Launchpad’s hand and turning to place it on the tree.  
His blood ran cold as he took his first look at the ornament, eyes frozen on the ghastly homemade wreath made of beads and pipe cleaner, a piece of cardboard attached to the back bearing his name and the year...his first grade year.  
Launchpad rested a hand on Drake’s shoulder, and he gave a slight jump, hand closing around the ornament and shoving it deep in his pocket, “Not this one.”  
His boyfriend’s kind and confused eyes searched his, “Aw, you sure? It looked pretty cute to me.” He gave an encouraging smile, reaching for Drake’s hands.  
He pulled away, headed for the other side of the tree and grabbed the ornament box, shuffling through it and pulling out a few more older, faded homemade ornaments. Those were also shoved into his pockets, giving an almost chipmunk-like bulge to each side, “No...these should have been thrown away years ago.” He replied curtly, headed to the kitchen and emptying said pockets into the trash. He took a minute out of Launchpad’s sight to take a quivering breath, hands grinning the edge of the counter before coming back with water bottles and a smile, “Let’s finish this thing so we can watch a movie!  
And so they did, a tense air between them as they finished decorating the tree with a mixture of Hanukkah and Christmas ornaments. Dinner was had, and a movie picked and watched. As credits rolled, Drake stretched and yawned, feeling much better- and tireder- than he had earlier.  
“Ready for bed, big guy?” He asked in a teasing manner, poking LP’s side as he relaxed into him.  
There was nothing but a slight hum of acknowlegement, causing the shorter male to look up and meet the concerned gaze of his boyfriend, “Can I ask you something?”  
His heart sank again, face feeling flush with anxiety as he weakly gave a nod, “Of course, LP. What’s up?”  
“Why...Why were you so scared of those ornaments?” Came the quiet question, hands finding his, “You were shakin’. I’ve never seen you like that.”  
“I wasn’t scared! I just-“ Drake gave an awkward chuckle, eyes daring away from the other’s to try and think up something believable.  
Not the truth.  
“I just didn’t want them on our tree. They were old, and tattered, and needed to be thrown out anyways.” He retorted, “It’s a new house! We need the ornaments to be perfect.”  
Launchpad went quiet, staring at him in search of something. What that was, Drake was scared to know, “Alright, D. If you say so.”  
Drake sat in silence, refusing to look at Launchpad. What kind of boyfriend was he, if he kept secrets? What kind of partner, if he couldn’t tell LP about his past? He took a deep breath.  
“They were mine. I made them when I was younger.” He settled in tight to Launchpad’s side, staring at the rolling credits of the movie so he wouldn’t have to see the other’s face, “They were given to me when I...when I moved away.”   
Wow, what an understatement.  
Launchpad tightened his hands on Drake’s, giving an unseen smile, “Oh, yeah? That’s pretty nice. Did you get all of them, or did your ma keep some?”  
Drake’s dry laugh betrayed the hint of cracking in his voice, “Nah, she didn’t want anything of mine. Said she didn’t want to be reminded of me.”  
There was another terse silence, the hands holding his starting the rub the backs with Launchpad’s thumbs. He could almost hear the wheels turn in the other’s head, “Drake.”  
“Hm?”  
“You didn’t just move away, did you?”  
A shaky sigh left him, and Drake finally looked up at LP, “No. I didn’t.”  
There was no question of what, or why. For that, Drake was grateful. He didn’t want to have to explain the day his parents had dropped him, didn’t want to have to relive every last moment between him and those he left behind.  
“Well, that’s their loss. I mean, look at you now!” Launchpad smiled, bringing their hands up to kiss the backs of his, “Homeowner, soon-to-be dad. They’re missin’ out on a wonderful granddaughter, and an even better son.”  
Drake gave a shaky smile, nodding, “It’s their loss. Besides, I’ve got you, haven’t I?”  
The look on LP’s face caused him to smile wider, leaning up to connect their beaks in a chaste kiss, “You, me, Gosalyn. The best thing they never had.”  
His old parents were somewhere miles away, probably telling old stories of his siblings, aunts and uncles. They probably had forgotten all about him, and that was fine by Drake. He had more important things- and people- to think about this Christmas.  
Ones that loved him, and cared for him unconditionally. Ones that would be in his life no matter what. And that was all he needed.


End file.
